RF&WirelessBlog

MWC 2012: Tensilica and mimoOn demo LTE PHY reference platform

A demonstration of LTE User Equipment and an eNodeB PHY with real-time downlink and uplink traffic was shown by Tensilica and mimoOn at Mobile World Congress. The software programmable radio demo is built on Tensilica's Atlas LTE reference platform using its ConnX BBE16 DSP and Tensilica Dataplane Processors (DPUs). It uses mimoOn's mi!MobilePHY software for LTE handsets and their LTE Intermediate Library, which has now been ported to Tensilica's ConnX DPUs. The demonstration is software upgradable so it can also support HSPA+ and WiMAX.

MWC 2012: Tablets first to feature MIPS architecture for both applications and baseband processing

Altair Semiconductor is bringing its MIPS-Based FourGee LTE chipset to MIPS-Based Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich" tablets from Ingenic, the Chinese CPU provider for mobile multimedia. Today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, MIPS and Altair demonstrated a prototype of the new solution integrating the Ingenic tablet with Altair's FourGee chipset. Both companies' products are based on the MIPS architecture, so by combining their processors, the new tablet will be the first to leverage the MIPS architecture for both baseband and applications processing.

MWC 2012: Freescale launches 28nm macro basestation on chip

Today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Freescale launched its first large cell basestation-on-chip, based on its QorIQ Qonverge multimode platform. The QorIQ Qonverge B4860 baseband processor supports LTE, LTE Advanced and WCDMA and integrates high performance cores, application-specific accelerators and optimal power/cost ratios. This announcement, a year after the company announced its QorIQ small cell series,  gives Freescale a portfolio of multi-standard products sharing the same architecture and spanning large and small cells. The QorIQ Qonverge portfolio is built on a common architecture, integrating Power Architecture microprocessors, StarCore DSPs and wireless acceleration on a single chip.

MWC 2012: ZTE introduces commercial basestation for LTE-Advanced with inter-band carrier aggregation

Chinese infrastructure vendor ZTE Corporation has today launched an LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) inter-band dual-carrier commercial basestation at Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

The new LTE-A basestation is based on the company's SDR hardware platform, and introduces inter-band carrier aggregation and MIMO (multiple input and multiple output) technologies. These technologies can double peak rate for individual users, enabling high-speed downloads of up to 270Mb/s in the downlink and meeting growing data service demands. During the congress, ZTE also demonstrated the basestation's inter-band carrier aggregation capabilities on two bands: 20MHz at 2.6GHz and 20MHz at 1.8GHz.

As frequency resources are becoming increasingly valuable, carrier aggregation technology will help assist operators with separate and discontinuous frequency resources because it can aggregate multiple carriers and increase frequency utilisation rate. This technology also enables greater bandwidth, higher user throughput and can solve the problem of rapid throughput decrease in the cell edge.

At the same time ZTE launched a next-generation TD-LTE multi-mode picocell basestation, aimed at mitigating problems associated with rapidly increasing mobile service data requirements. It also provides comprehensive coverage and capacity offloading to supplement macro coverage - it can be deployed in hot spots, blind spots, cell-edge spots and indoors dependent on traffic. It is also compatible with micro, macro and femto basestations.

Based on ZTE's SDR platform it supports LTE and WiFi simultaneously. Because of this, operators can configure Pico to work in WiFi to attract users at the initial stages of LTE construction, and later transfer them to TD-LTE/WiFi dual-mode as the LTE network matures. Moreover, the Pico can work in CPE mode and use TD-LTE as wireless backhaul while simultaneously working as a WiFi access point. The relay-assisted product also enables operators that lack wireline backhaul resources to efficiently develop their advanced heterogeneous LTE networks.

ZTE's LTE products are in use with high-end operators in Europe, North America and Japan. As of the end of 2011, ZTE had won 30 LTE commercial contracts across the globe, including with CSL, H3G, Vodafone, Softbank, Zain and others. The company has also deployed test networks in cooperation with more than 100 operators all around the world, including in Europe, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East.

Developments help build momentum for CMOS power amplifiers

CMOS power amplifier technologies are gaining momentum with two launches this week promising further takeup of the devices. Toshiba claims to have simplified the distortion correction circuit, while Black Sand has launched products that operate in every 3G band worldwide.

60 million dual-core smartphones shipped in 2011

Analysts Berg Insight have released preliminary data showing that sales of smartphones equipped with dual-core application processors reached 60 million units worldwide in 2011. The first models with dual-core processors were unveiled at the beginning of 2011 with sales starting in February 2011. One year later, and several handset vendors are expected to announce their first smartphones with quad-core processors at Mobile World Congress next week.

WizYa and CommAgility demo LTE eNodeB implementation

WizYa Technologies has demonstrated a complete LTE eNodeB system running on CommAgility’s AMC-2C6670 and AMC-RF2x2 AdvancedMC modules. The system uses WizYa's Layer-1 implementation, which supports CPRI connectivity between the two CommAgility modules, integrated with a third party Layer-2/3 protocol stack.

SDR architecture for military comms promises smaller, interoperable field radios

Cambridge Consultants has introduced a new architecture, ModStar, for the design of low power and highly efficient software defined radios (SDRs) for military communications. ModStar promises to enable smaller and more flexible high performance SDRs  for operation in the field.

In recent years, defence organisations around the world have invested in a variety of custom radio systems, using many different air interfaces, to perform specific tasks. However, a key challenge for operations today is ensuring that all of these different air interfaces can be interoperable in the field, and that seamless communications can be conducted on any of the legacy systems. SDR can provide exactly this capability, delivering support for multiple air interfaces within a single, flexible implementation.

Mindspeed announces first dual-mode SoCs to include Picochip technology

Mindspeed has debuted its first products which incorporate 3G technology from Picochip, following Mindspeed’s acquisition of the company in January. The latest addition to the Transcede family of SoCs is a dual-mode processor for concurrent 3G and LTE operation and are intended to simplify migration from 3G to LTE networks.

Nujira launches first commercial Envelope Tracking chip for smartphones

Nujira has launched the first IC in its Coolteq.L product family of Envelope Tracking (ET) power supply modulators for mobile handsets. According to Nujira, the NCT-L1100 reduces wasted energy from power amplifiers (PAs) in mobile handsets by more than 50%, cutting heat dissipation and extending battery life.